Festival Passes and Day Passes now available for purchase from galleliteraryfestival.com
The Galle Literary Festival has unveiled its eagerly awaited literary programme for 2025. With over 100 talks, workshops, and events scheduled from 6 to 9 February, the lineup showcases the festival’s strengthened dedication to diversity and meaningful dialogue.
Dominating themes featured in the programme this year centre around home & identity, legacy and global cultural connections. The Festival presents a strong opening of headline interviews with Shyam Selvadurai, Afua Hirsch and Sathnam Sanghera and closes with an all-Sri Lankan panel on identity in books, reinforcing the appeal of the 4-day festival pass.
Additional highlights from the 2025 Galle Literary Festival programme include the following talks among many others in the line-up:
- Catalysts of Creativity: Why Writing Prizes Matter
Romesh Gunesekera, Maduranga Kalugampitiya & Kate Mosse with Louise Minchin
- A New Wave of Democracy in South Asia?
Daniel Alphonsus & Peter Frankopan with Rahul Jacob
- Behind the Curtain: Writing for Theatre
Michael Attenborough, Jenny Erpenbeck & Greg Mosse with Tracy Holsinger
- Legacy: Who Do We Choose to Remember? –
Afua Hirsch, Simon Lister & Ben Macintyre in conversation with Julia Wheeler
- AI in Writing: Friend, Foe or Tool?
Adam Rutherford & Yudhanjaya Wijeratne
- Worrell: Caribbean Cricket & Post-Independence Identity
Simon Lister in conversation with Simon Parker
- Repatriation: Objects of Empire
Naazima Kamardeen, Sathnam Sanghera & Nicholas Thomas with Georgina Godwin
- Wild Encounters, Wise Choices: Shaping Sustainable Wildlife Tourism
Saba Douglas-Hamilton & Manori Gunawardena in conversation with Anushka Wijesinha
Guests can explore the full programme, including event descriptions, timings and venues, here.
“We’re thrilled to share this year’s programme, which represents our most dynamic lineup to date,” said Saskia Walker, Festival Curator. “With brilliant guests joining us from within Sri Lanka and abroad, we have put together an array of inspiring and engaging discussions, creating a platform for curiosity, creativity and global conversations in Galle. We look forward to welcoming everyone to celebrate the power of stories and ideas at GLF this coming February.”
Outside of the festival pass sessions, a vibrant calendar of events complements the talks, featuring everything from literary lunches and dinners to cultural and nature explorations — all set against the stunning backdrop of Sri Lanka’s South Coast. The Festival’s tea-and-poetry sessions and social soirées provide a rare opportunity to connect with authors in a comfortable and intimate setting.
The South brims with entertainment during the Festival. In addition to interactive workshops led by visiting speakers, engaging panel discussions, and solo presentations, a trail of performances can be witnessed throughout the festival featuring jazz evenings, comedy sets, dance and drama performances and screenings, offering vibrant and diverse experiences.
Festival Passes available to purchase now from galleliteraryfestival.com
Festival passes: Rs. 45,000
Day Passes: Rs. 12,000 – Rs. 15,000
Festival Passes include access to talks highlighted in the programme.
Tickets for lunches, dinners and workshops are individually priced and go on sale in January.
About Galle Literary Festival
Since its launch in 2007, orchestrated by Geoffrey Dobbs, the Galle Literary Festival has become one of the most anticipated arts and culture events in South Asia. A favourite among authors and attendees alike, the Festival hosts a wide variety of talks, workshops and exhibitions in an intimate, historic setting.
A celebration of the creative arts, the Festival champions the work of writers and poets, as well as giving space to painters, photographers and cinematographers. Through associated culinary events, the GLF also highlights the excellence of local and international chefs.
Held largely within the walls of the centuries-old Galle Fort, the Festival has a strong sense of community at its heart. A UNESCO World Heritage Site on Sri Lanka’s southern coast, the Fort is home to one of the island’s most diverse communities. Its cobbled streets and terracotta-roofed houses generously invite local and international visitors to gather for a long weekend intended to inspire, educate and entertain.
Partners
Galle Literary Festival 2025 is held in partnership with:
- Asia Securities (gold partner)
- Sarasavi Bookshop (bookshop partner)
- CMG (broadcasting partner)
- Pulse (digital media partner)
- Candmenn (merchandise partner)
- Amangalla (premium hospitality partner)
- When in Galle (venue partner)
- Stick No Bills (official creative partner)
- ARTRA (Art Trail partner)
- Streets Of Colombo (session partner)
- CATA (session partner)
- Southern Mystique (session partner)
- High Commission of Australia (author partner)
- iDiscover (session & creative partner)
- Sri Yoga Shala (session partner)
- Sunera Foundation (session partner)
- IAT (partner)
- Chamber Music Society Colombo (partner)
- Anantara – Tangalle (press partner)
With special thanks to Sunethra Bandaranaike
Galle Literary Festival 2025 is hosted by:
The Chatham Collection / Fort Bazaar / Pooja Kanda / Galle Fort Hotel / Skinny Beach / The Merchant / Villa Sielen Diva / Why House / Sri Mathie / Ginigala House / Sail Lanka / Amangalla / Anantara – Tangalle / Idle Bikes / Ishq Villas / Sydney Hotel